The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Virtually any exterior portion of an automobile is subject to being damaged and requiring repair. In this regard, automobile bodies are constructed from a plurality of interior and exterior panels (e.g., quarter panels, door panels, hoods, trunks, etc.,) that may become damaged due to a vehicle collision, misuse, or vandalism, for example.
Although minor damage such as scrapes and nicks can typically be repaired in a cost effective manner, more significant damage such as cracks, bends, and structural issues typically necessitate that the panel be replaced. When this situation occurs, many vehicle owners choose to replace the damaged panel with a less expensive used panel which can be recycled from a salvage yard or other such provider.
Indeed, the automobile salvage industry is undergoing a boon by recycling quality undamaged automobile components to repair shops for a fraction of the cost of an equivalent OEM component. This is especially true for doors and door panels, which are most commonly replaced with recycled components. In this regard, when a salvage yard receives an order for a door or door panel, a worker will physically pull the door panel, and carry it to a transport area where the door will be wrapped with cardboard and transported to a courier for delivery to the repair shop.
Although the cardboard covering can prevent the surface of the door from being scratched, it provides no protection against damage caused from physical impacts with other objects, nor does it protect the door from becoming damaged if it is dropped by the courier. For these reasons, it is not uncommon for a repair shop to receive a recycled door that has dents and other imperfections. When this occurs, the repair shop must either return the damaged door, or spend precious time and resources to return the recycled door to a pristine condition.
Accordingly, the need exists for an automobile door enclosure which can function both as a convenient carrying case and as a protective barrier to protect the door from being damaged through contact with an external object.